Notes / Commercial Description:
Our infamous Black Tuesday is an imperial stout aged in bourbon barrels for over a year. Rich caramel, toasted malt, vanilla, burnt wood and anise are just a few of the many flavors in this rich, decadent imperial stout.

Reviews by antilogic:

On tap at the Bruery both at Allocation sale time, and at release on 10/27. First review deleted due to site problems.

Jet black, opaque, dark tan head, that really sticks to a glass as you roll it around. Smell is bourbon, some coffee, some chocolate, roasted malts, and sugars.

Taste is not overpowering in borubon, which is great; it just adds to the complexity. Definitely some chocolate and a very high amount of sugar considering the ABV. Not much hotness/alcohol. Don't find much oak there.

Carbonation is well done (on tap at least), and is truly necessary to make this a drinkable beer. I'm not one for syrupy beers that are not highly carbonated (not overly fond of 120min or flat angel's share).

If I didn't start to feel it after a few pours, I would not believe the 19.5% ABV. Impressive.

More User Reviews:

If Stouts could inspire liqueur, then this beer is the epitome of that discussion. Again, The Bruery outdoes themselves with another transcendent ale. Beers simply don't get bigger, bolder, more confident or... more ideal!

Its highly viscous pour is the blackest of blacks- its onyx-like sheen makes the beer look every bit as much like an oil slick as it would anything meant to be placed in the mouth. Ominously dark, mysterious and undoubtedly masculine- there's simply something menacing about the beer's appearance. With really no foam, froth, or streaming to mention- the beer's espresso-like character takes hold.

As espresso is where the aromas take off. Deep sweet and smoky roast character is charged with the strongest roasted coffee that's woven together with molasses and maple syrups. Dark chocolate and dried fruit gives the beer a complex wine-like nose. Cherries, grapes, dates, figs and oak peak through the enormity of malt along with hints of coconut, vanilla and caramel as the beer warms.

Heading into taste, the stout's low-lying carbonation allows its massive malt sweetness to latch onto the taste buds and saturate them fully with high espresso roast, black-strap molasses, bittersweet chocolates, walnuts and a savory, smoky sweetness. Port wine and aged sherry release savory and almost salty flavors with a certain "meatiness" that reminds me playfully of teriyaki and soy sauce. Its that sweet and salty interplay that creates such a savory combination that the stout easily replaces dessert as after dinner reward. Its molasses-infused bourbon flavor is well equipped with oak, vanilla, coconut and char as the beer warms.

Incredibly rich and chewy, the beer's viscosity wraps around the tongue like a ribbon of silk- it might as well make love to the mouth. Its heavy coat easily penetrates to soft tissues of the mouth and is slow to release- allowing for a forever linger of sweetness, booze and brownie.

With all the Imperial Stouts on the market, few reach this kind of apex- its every much a digestive liqueur that's as well balanced, complete and robust as any. If stout is the questions, then Black Tuesday wins!

Pours an oily, not completely black color with brown-red hints in it, with a small bubbly mohagony head, collapsing to a small lacing. The beer reveals thick alcohol legs after swirling, coating up the edges of the glass.

Offers an intense nose, consisting of scorched cocoa nibs, molasses and an intense warmth, resulting from the Bourbon barrel. Bourbon blends perfectly into sweeter, dark and full bodied aromas, revealing dried earth and walnut shell, topped off by a note of cinnamon and wooden vanilla. Very intriguing and well balanced, promising a huge, warming beer.

Drinks surprisingly easy, don't get me wrong, you can tell this is a big beer, but its Bourbon characteristic is amazingly well integrated into the beers overall taste. Drinks expectedly smooth, with a silk, full-bodied mouthfeel, featuring a long lasting warmth, while the taste evolves throughout, challenging the tastebuds in a pleasant way.

Tastes almost instantly of Bourbon, while its presence in the beer is that fundamental, that it only lends wooden oak initially to a foundation of burned rock sugar, wrapped up in a huge amount of earth and bakers chocolate. Develops a spicy, burning but pleasant bite, being far away fom numbing the palate, together with a present oakiness. Cocoa nibs develop more presence, as do vanilla beans, accompanied by a dry, warming Bourbon burn. Bourbon doesn't want to leave the palate at all, while milk chocolate and a note of creamy caramel join in, countering the wooden dryness perfectly. Ends with a long lasting glow, wandering down the throat, accompanied by chocolate, oak and a note of cinnamon.

A unique experience without a doubt. We zipped on this all night, and it took me more than a glass to adjust to the huge body of the beer. After that, it has been a real pleasure to drink it, while I can not confirm that this beer has a relatively thin mouthfeel, which is what I read before more than often. It exhibits a strinking depth and complexity, centered all around well entangled Bourbon, which always saves enough room on the palate for other flavors to unfold.

A- Not super impressive. Typical high ABV stout; little to no head. Basically pitch black, but not the darkest I've seen.
S- GOOD GOD. The aroma on this thing is incredible. This was done side-by-side with BCBS, which smelled simple and boring compared to this thing (and I'm a BCBS fanboy). Sweet vanilla, charred oak, bourbon, licorice. Unbelievable.
T- I was worried that the taste wouldn't live up to the aroma, but there is no worries here. Wave after wave of dark fruits, chocolate, sweet vanilla, and bourbon. This is not a beer that will "sneak up on you." This beer lets you know its going to dominate you from the beginning.
M- Typical high ABV stout. Pours thick, though nothing like TenFIDY. Low carbonation. Sticky as hell, but smooth. Foams well when swished in the mouth.

O- Need I say more? Best BBA Stout I've ever had hands down. This thing is a monster, so it may not be for everyone, but if you are looking for something to blow you away, this'll do it.

A - Pours pitch black with a small and fizzy chocolate-milk colored head. Fades pretty quickly, leaving almost no lacing.

S - Chocolate, molasses, caramel, vanilla, oak, and a good dose of Bourbon. Bourbon does not overwhelm as I was expecting.

T - Lots of chocolate with bourbon , vanilla and licorice.. As it warms, the dark fruits and sweet brown sugar makes it more complex. A mild alcohol burn is there as a reminder to take your time sipping it.

M - Mouthfeel is nice an coating, oily, slight carbonation. Alcohol is a bit warm but fits the intensity of this beer perfectly.

O - Amazing beer and the best I've had that's over 15% ABV. Can't wait to try Chocolate Rain next.

I'm reluctant to review since I'm throwing in an opinion consistent with those before me! In summary, an all around winner destined for stardom!

I buy into the hype of the "rare," "hard to get" "big alcohol," "one of a kind" stuff as much as the next person. Thus, after driving Steff crazy with e-mails, I'm sure, (and in which she basically said if you want to try it..come down and try it! lol...) I drove down today. Candidly, I've been disappointed, a bit, in some of these hyped, huge alcoholic stouts and "stout type" brews. I am a big fan of "the extreme." I love the huge hops and I love the big, bold stouts. I like 'em all but those are my favorites.

I was ready to taste Black Tuesday, say I did, and then move on. Well, hold your horses...this one is the "real deal."

Thick and viscous out of the bottle the nose hits you with vanilla, whiskey, brandy, dark cherries, vanilla, sweet espresso and sweet Turkish coffee. Wow...

The mouthfeel is like thick cream. It actually initially tastes like you've put a sweet cherried chocolate vanilla carmel bourbon/brandy fudge sauce in your mouth. Then, you get a bit of heat and alcohol, although nothing like the 19+% it is. This is a meal; this is that special dessert; this is simply a gigantic surprise party of flavor, layers and texture.

While we sipped it at the brewery in our 4 oz pour, I was already planning on the meals at which I'd pour this. First meal will be a huge BBQ, although one could pour this as part of any dessert course, including one of the sweetest and darkest chocolate you could find.

Shows like a thick Sherry, Madera or Port. See the prior reviews. So far, everyone's right on!

Only possible shortcoming for me (and the only reason I didn't give it 5s across the board) is that many will not find it appealing with most food and find it a sipping beer. Me? I'll drink this puppy with everything from BBQ chicken and ribs to pecan pie!

We may have a new standard for big stouts;....or, we simply may have a whole new catagory...

Was gifted a 2013 bottle by @Evilash to celebrate the birth of my son. Ended up opening it on the day my son came home from the hospital, which also happened to be my birthday. Drank over the course of 3 hours at cellar temp. This is the new gold standard for BA stouts for me personally. It is very strong, as the abv suggests, but there is a sweetness behind it that brings it into balance. If I'm lucky enough to grab another bottle at some point, I will split it with someone- I was dragging the next day!

A: Dark black with ruby highlight when held up to the light. Not as pitch black as I expected. Small tan head recedes to nothing after about 30 seconds, per usual for a BA beer with this high of an ABV.

Black Tuesday pours, well, black, with a thin and wispy beige head that recedes to a faint ring around the edge of the glass. Thick, vinous legs on this one, too. The aromas are intense: heavy, heavy alcohol presence that's a lot like straight bourbon (though the alcohol aroma settled substantially as the beer warmed up); dark red fruit like raisins and cherries; chocolate; and a very nice oaky vanilla. Flavors are a dream: sweet, booze-drenched chocolate; spicy alcohol heat; caramelized brown sugar; vanilla marshmallows; more vanilla and molasses; more of those dark red fruits; and a faint char or roastiness on the finish. There's almost a sherry- or port-like flavor to Black Tuesday, which transforms this beer into one fit not only for mortals, but also for the gods. Mouthfeel is not thin, but not as viscous as I was expecting. It's just smooth, substantial, and exactly right for what's going on with the flavors. There's definitely a bit of alcohol burn, but this seemed to dissipate as the beer warmed up.

Overall, Black Tuesday is one of the best straight BA stouts I've ever had, maybe slightly ahead of BCBS and slightly behind the king of the roost, Parabola. The flavors are rich, complex, and hard to capture adequately with words. If you're a BA stout fan, you'll love this one.

I feel like such a homer and a feeder of the hype-machine by giving this beer such an amazing review, but I cannot help it. It deserves it.

A: Black Tuesday is jet black and has one of the best heads I've seen. A finger or so of mocha colored foam that has incredible staying power. If it didn't taste so good, it would be great to just look at it in the glass.

S: As one might expect from a beer as big and bold as this, there are great aromas of bourbon, chocolate, roasted malt, vanilla, sugar, and surprisingly mild alcohol.

T: The flavor is strikingly similar to the aroma (no shock there). The huge chocolate and bourbon barrel flavors are the first to knock your socks off. As you continue to enjoy the beer, you pick up on some dark fruits and licorice, along with some sweeter flavors of vanilla and brown sugar. Eventually the alcohol burn starts to creep in as the beer warms.

M: The carbonation on this beer is low, but the bubbles help to keep it from being too heavy and overwhelming. I find it to be a great match for the flavors and the enormous body of Black Tuesday.

D: Well, this could do well to sit in a cellar for about 5 years. But, it's still so wonderful now that I would not turn a serving down. This is one beer that truly has lived up to its hype (for me, anyway) and I look forward to sharing my bottles and my friends bottles whenever we feel so moved. An absolutely world class beverage!

All I can really say is.... wow. This was a magical elixir for me... I cracked a 2014 bottle at a bible study; was amazed by the smell and struck by the incredible bourbon booziness. Looked at the bottle more closely and realized it was 19.7%. Simply a wonderful sipping beer. The bourbon smell and flavor is just incredible with a heavy chewy mouthfeel. There is a sweet syrupy chocolate undertone to this beer and the aftertaste just keeps going. This may be called Black Tuesday but I will fondly remember this as Blackout Sunday. I personally appreciate strong flavors and this one is no joke. Shockingly good. Get your hands on this one, you won't be disappointed.

Smells like a rich, dark chocolate candy bar, dropped into a pan of hot chocolate pudding, quietly burning on the range. Complexity of this beer is off the charts. I have had several of The Bruery's blended beers that incorporate Black Tuesday, and I've had Grey Monday, but I will freely admit I was not expecting the zany flavors this monstrous brew delivered to me on the first sip. Abundant fig, oak, hazelnut, almond, vanilla, sweet cream, molasses, molten caramel, pudding, semisweet chocolate... I don't know, man. Blown away. Was all ready to be objective about it and then the first drop hit my tongue. BT is entirely worthy of the reputation it has garnered.

A: Pours a deep brown color, pitch black once it collects in the glass. A slight mocha head forms, but it disappears pretty quickly.

S: A big mix of sweet dark chocolate, raisin and bourbon that meld together really well. For a beer this huge, the alcohol doesn't really scare you off in the smell.

T: This is fantastic. Tons of rich dark chocolate and bourbon notes with a touch of chocolate covered cherry, raisin, port and char. A huge beer, but it's really smooth and there's no real burn at all, which is pretty crazy. Definitely deserving of its reputation.

2012, poured dark as the night, smell of bourbon, cholocate, slight vanilla and a bit of booziness. Taste was much of the same characteristics, bourbon up front, sweetness, but not cloying, and rich stout. A slight bit of booze, but no burn and not overpowering. Definitely a monster beer.

I have yet to have a single beer from The Bruery that I felt had warranted any of the hype that the beer and brewery had generated, and Black Tuesday really was no different. It falls into the same vein of so many other barrel aged stouts in that it has that similar coca-cola taste that far too many brewers shoot for. The body is too thin, the taste is overly sweet, the heat picks up in an unsettling manner as it warms, the smell is cloying instead of engaging, and I've already explained the taste.

Please, folks, don't judge this on the difficulty you had getting a bottle, or the hype that everyone else spouts. Instead, take a step back and compare it to other BA stouts. It isn't special, and it doesn't distinguish itself when you set it with other world-class offerings.

Thankfully I did not pay or trade for this, but unfortunately a friend of mine did. Neither of us will make the mistake of looking for this again.

750ml bottle from 2012, about 6oz poured into a snifter at Dustin's birthday tasting yesterday, 6.15.2013.

Aroma: Lots of bourbon and heat, which dominates the nose. But there are marshmallows and tons of chocolate, very sweet. It basically smelled like bourbon smores. Interesting! I thought the heat was really off-putting, but altogether this beer has a really, sweet and complex nose.

Colour: Pitch black, like a black hole. Not much of a head at all, which is not surprising for a high gravity beer like this. There isn't even a collar, and there isn't any lacing at all when I swirl it around. Its black, that's all I can expect from a beer called Black Tuesday.

Flavour: Really, really sweet. Like mentioned before, it tastes like a crap ton of chocolate, bourbon and a little vanilla sweetness. There's a lot going on here, but the best way to put it is hot, hot bourbon smores. It all comes together well, not all that cloying. Deliciously bourbony and malty!

Mouthfeel: Thinner bodied but full of flavour. Actually quite well carbonated for a giant stout like this. Aftertaste is mostly all the malty sweetness that I experienced while swishing this beer along my palate. Its pretty much dessert. Really, the biggest problem with this beer is that it's so damn boozy. I know its a 19.2% beer, but it was just a beer that took a long time to finish. Still, so black and thick... gotta say this is a hell of a mouthfeel.

Overall: Delicious. It's like drinking bourbon and port together. Thick thick beer that is very sweet but not cloyingly so. As mentioned above, the problem is that its got too much alcohol in it- I can smell it in the nose immediately as its being poured, and it definitely gets hotter as it gets warmer. I think its a deliciously sweet barrel-aged big stout but for the $36 it costs per bottle, I'll take 6 bottles of BCBS. It's not a very good value IMO (which does not detract from the overall scoring in this review), but I'm glad to have at least tried it.

A: Pours dark brown sugar color, able to see through the pour. In the glass it's black with light around the edges. Dark mocha head initially that fades extremely fast. Swirling revitalizes the head a bit but the carbonation is limited. Very apparent alcohol legs.
S: Dark chocolate, oak barrels, faint whiskey, plums, trace amounts of cherry, some vanilla, licorice, dark fruits, cinnamon, nutty aromas of walnuts and almonds. Reminds you somewhat of cinnamon oatmeal packets, a rich bouquet of fruit and spices. Caramelized sugars. It really opens up as it warms. The alcohol is more apparent the warmer it gets, but no astringency or booziness.
T: Warm on the tongue right away, it provides a massive payload of sweet caramel, chocolate, bourbon and dark fruit. Just awesome. It really opens up as it gets warmer, providing a really rich experience on the tongue with notes of the various aromas mentioned above. Drinks like a chocolate cake in many ways. Some heat is there, but for such a big ABV beer it is not overly boozy.
M: Big mouthfeel. Sits heavy on the tongue but still very drinkable when you consider the alcohol content. Coats the mouth. This is the definition of a sipper beer. Light carbonation is there, but doesn't play a lot into the overall experience.
O: just an awesome beer. It's got the full chocolate bourbon barrel experience you expected. Absolutely one of the best beers I've ever had.

Black Tuesday...what a name. Enjoyed as part of a tasting of BT, GM, MW, and CR.

A-Few beers will ever look as deadly. A brief glance at the label and you'll know (at 19.7%) this isn't something to take lightly. This beer doesn't have a color, it's strictly the absence of all light.

S-Huge alcohol up front, almost as if smelling a spirit. Bourbon is slightly there, but is overpowered by the alcohol content of the beer itself.

T-Husky up front. Lost of malt in here. Hard to pick out a dominant flavor. The bourbon/malt/alcohol is very complex.

Wow. Simply an amazing beer.aroma is strong of booze and bourbon. Looks dark as night and black as death. Tastes like sweetness mixed with goodness and love. Heavy on the notes of barrel and vanilla but really couldn't discern much bourbon. Amazing and really unique. This is what world wide stout wishes it was like. Much thanks to steveb24 for sharing

2013 vintage. Pours pitch black with no head and little to no lacing. Lots of bourbon, dark fruit, and tobacco. Caramel, chocolate, fig, anise, bourbon, and dark roast coffee on the palate. Some alcohol burn. Full bodied with little carbonation. Overall this beer is a monster best sipped. Quite delicious.